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Wednesday, 22 July 2015

Sarah, Misty and Scribbles’ Journey to the House by the Sea

Sarah, Misty and Scribbles’ Journey to the House by
the Sea written by
Jacqueline Johnson, illustrated by Frances Español (Partridge Publishing)

PB RRP $15.95

ISBN
978-1-48282-990-7

Reviewed by Peta
Biggin

Sarah the ragdoll,
Misty the toy rabbit and Scribbles the teddy bear all have different problems
with their eyes and none of them can see very well. They keep bumping into things and falling
down stairs causing other toys to make fun of them. Sarah, Misty and Scribbles were very sad
because they couldn’t join in with any games.
Some of the toys saw their sadness and decided to help them – ensuring
that their world was safe and accessible.
After that, Sarah, Misty and Scribbles were happy again and always
thankful for the help of their friends.

Sarah, Misty and Scribbles’ Journey to the House by
the Sea is the debut
picture book from Australian author Jacqueline Johnson. It is a gentle story that has been written to
raise awareness and understanding about vision impairment in younger children.

Sarah, Misty and
Scribbles are struggling to cope in their surroundings as they are unable to
see properly. Adding to the difficulty
of their situation is the lack of understanding they receive from some of the
other toys – both regarding the nature of their impairments and the challenges
they are facing. They feel isolated and
alone. However, not all of the toys are
indifferent and they work together to provide the trio with everything they
need to be able to re-join and enjoy their world.

This is a lovely
story that covers a lot of ground: how vision impairment can seem to those who
do not have to live with it; the sort of attitudes that young sufferers can
face; and the type of tactics and tools that people need to be able to interact
successfully with the world around them.
Telling the story from the perspective of those with impaired vision
allows the reader to develop empathy and understanding; important qualities
that should be nurtured in young children.

Frances Español’s
full-page illustrations are fun and colourful; with subtle features to reflect
the mood and little details to support the intention of the story.

Sarah, Misty and Scribbles’ Journey to the House by
the Sea is sweet book with
an important message. It would be a
valuable resource for parents and teachers that want to encourage discussion
and awareness of vision impairment.

Jacqueline Johnson
has a Bachelor of Arts, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education and a Masters in
Special Education. She currently works
as an Orientation and Mobility Instructor and through this role she has
developed a better understanding of the complex issues surrounding vision
impairment. She can be found online at http://www.sarahmistyandscribbles.com/.